Robbie Slater previews the 2014/15 Premier League season
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Fox Sports football commentator Robbie Slater previews the 2014/15 English Premier League season.

Fox Sports

13 Aug 2014

Sport/Football/EPL

Frank Lampard won’t be playing in Australia due to a rule change by FFA.Source: AP

MELBOURNE City was working towards having Frank Lampard play for it on a short-term loan this season.

But after a change to A-League loan player laws the club was unable accommodate his wage under the $2.55m salary cap and instead the England legend will spend six months at English Premier League side Manchester City.

Football Federation Australia confirmed the off-season policy shift to the Herald Sun.

From this season onward all moneys paid to the loan player or player’s parent club must be included in the salary cap.

Lampard joined new MLS franchise New York City FC after 13 years at Chelsea.Source: AP

For examples in which movement occurs between affiliated clubs - i.e. Manchester City or New York City to Melbourne City - it is understood the player’s wages will be included under the salary cap on a pro-rata basis dependent on how long he signs for and what his annual salary is.

The revision was not in response to Lampard’s potential short-term stint in the A-League, rather an acknowledgment that previous legislation around loan players was grey.

The Herald Sun understands Melbourne City had wanted Lampard, 36, to spend three months in the A-League before heading to New York in January, just like David Villa.

Lampard, Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer, was open to the move.

Melbourne City has also signed Robert Koren as its marquee.Source: News Corp Australia

He could have joined Villa - who will play for the club on a 10-game guest stint - former Chelsea teammate Damien Duff and international marquee Robert Koren in a blockbuster line-up for the early rounds of the season.

In the past, moneys not paid directly to a loan player - for instance, a lump-sum payment to the player’s parent club - did not count under the salary cap.

But that has been changed for the upcoming season.

Frank Lampard, of England, participates in a soccer clinic with young players in New York.Source: AP

Had the new rule been in place in 2013-14 it is unlikely Melbourne Victory would have been able to have both James Troisi and Tom Rogic in its squad.

“The issue of loan arrangements has been reviewed by FFA because of the increasing usage of loan players last season and the structure of loan deals between Australian and foreign clubs,” FFA said in a statement.

“We now have two A-League clubs in football group ownership (Melbourne City with City Group and Brisbane Roar with Bakrie Group), so that’s another factor in FFA taking a look at loan deals.

“Starting from season 10, FFA will apply a principle that any amount that is paid by the A-League club that goes to the player - either directly or indirectly by way of a payment to his overseas parent club - is counted under the salary cap.

“This will ensure that the integrity of the salary cap is protected and we will continue to have the principle of competitive balance at the core of the A-League.

“In the case of group ownership, where players may move between affiliated clubs without a normal loan fee, FFA has measures to ensure that a fair and reasonable salary is attributed to the salary cap for those players.”

City, Victory and Sydney FC are understood to have been most vocal in their opposition of the law change.

Loan deals such as the one struck by Sydney with Shanghai East Asia for the services of Bernie Ibini this season are now set to be included in the salary cap.

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